Wilmette Bowling Ctr Inc

01/29/09

KID HEAVEN

by MISHY2104 at Citysearch

NICE PEOPLE, VERY CLEAN AND GREAT PIZZA. VERY KID FRIENDLY. WE HAD A PARTY AND THE KIDS WERE IN HEAVEN

• Pros: NICE PEOPLE
• Cons: NONE

12/03/08

Love it

by JuiceyJuice at Citysearch

Michal Strange is a babe. I stared at her the whole time. She was wearing this high waisted skirt and it was hard to peel my eyes away from her. The bowling was fun though. Recommended for families.

• Pros: Michal Strange
• Cons: Her outfits

07/14/07

A great, very low-key place to bowl, especially with kids!

by katejthomas at Citysearch

This is a nifty, very easy-going place. Friendly, helpful staff. Very child-friendly, and easy on the budget. The building has been a bowling alley forever, so it has a well-loved charm to the place. It was owned by the same family for a long time, and got new owners a while back. Shoes are available for rental, and they have a small assortment of snacks and soda available at the front. They also have 'bumper bowling' for smaller children, and lighter weight bowlingballs can be found mixed in with the others theu have. You can also order a thin-crust pizza (limited topping; not gourmet/execptional pizza but very reliable and a good option for adult snacks or lunch for hungry kids) at the front desk - they have a small pizza place attached to the bowling alley. This is not a huge bowling multi-plex with bells, whistles, light shows, etc., so if that's what you're looking for, you'll be in the wrong place. It's not high-tech and brand-spanking new. There's no video arcade or loud music or vending machines, etc. It's just a bowling alley; small - maybe 10 lanes? - music in the background and not in-your-face, kind of place. (They do have computer consoles to keep track of your game and scores.) My kids pick this place over all the other "fancy" bowling places in the entire area. They do fun birthday parties at a reasonable pice, too. Usually there's plenty of on-street parking.

NOTES: At peak times, the place can fill up, BUT if you call, they can usually give you a timeframe when lanes will probably open up. A real bonus that saves waiting around with restless children while they wait for a lane. You can't reserve lanes over the phone, but it does cut down on the waiting time. ALSO: NO CREDIT CARDS. Cash/check only.

FINALLY: If pizza doesn't grab you, walk down one block to the Ridgeview restaurant. Ridgeview has a broader menu, is kid-friendly/has kids menu, reliable food, good milkshakes, and accepts plastic. They also have a cash machine.

• Pros: Low-key atmosphere, kid friendly, low-hassle parking, nice staff, reasonably priced
• Cons: No credit cards accepted, so be warned! Can get crowded on weekend mornings.